


Shadows of Things to Come

by ZanzaFlux



Series: Shadows of the Studio [1]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-19 15:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11901051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZanzaFlux/pseuds/ZanzaFlux
Summary: It's been three months since Henry and Bendy escaped the Studio.  Henry just wants things to go back to normal.  The pentagram on his right palm says otherwise.  Things get even more complicated when his sister comes to visit.





	1. The Visit

**Author's Note:**

> This story is separate from my Slice of Life stories. It's based on the ink! Henry stories and artwork done by @shinyzango and @themarginalartist on tumblr. Think of it as an alternate turn of events with the same characters I've been writing about.

It’s been three months.

It’s been three months since he escaped that damned studio.

Its been three months since he escaped with a living cartoon demon called Bendy.

Truthfully, Henry thought he would have bounced back by now. At least he thought he could. One look at the pentagram branded to his right hand told him things would never be the same. The veins that ran from the brand and through his hand were too dark. So dark that his coworkers started to ask if he was alright. What could he tell them. That he had demonic ink coursing through his veins but he was perfectly fine. Yeah, that would go as well as he expected. Probably end up in a looney bin or worse, someone takes him seriously and starts poking around his insides.

Then there's Bendy. The poor toon’s memories about his years spent in the studio were spotty at best. There were holes there that either he couldn’t or wouldn’t fill because it was all too painful. The only thing that lingered when he found Henry was a profound sense of loneliness. Loneliness and fear of the creatures that slithered through the ink filled and rotted hallways of the studio.

But all of that was behind them now. Henry kept his promise and freed them both. He was trying his best to make a new life for his toon friend. Show him the world he was denied for so long. Neither one was naïve. Things were a little rocky between the toon and the adults that lived in their little town, but things were slowly coming together.

So why hadn’t he picked up the phone. Why hadn’t he called the one person he knew would be worried to death about him. The demonic symbol in the palm of his hand reminded him why. He wasn’t sure if he could tell her what happened in there. As soon as she sees Bendy, she would have more questions. He’d be lucky if she didn’t think he joined a cult or something.

He really shouldn’t have been surprised when the phone rang one day and a familiar voice could be heard on the other end. His sister had an uncanny knack for calling when he really needed someone to talk to.

_“Hey there old man! Haven’t heard from ya in awhile.”_ Henry knew he had this coming. In all honesty, he was really happy to hear from her.

“Hey June-Bug. It’s good to hear from you too. Sorry I haven’t called in awhile.” She got really quiet for a few seconds.

_“Hey bro, are you feeling alright? You sound a little off.”_ Henry ran his fingers through his hair. He may have a supernatural bond with an ink demon, but June could always sense when something was wrong and vise versa.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired is all.” Again it got really quiet on the other end before she asked the one thing he hoped she wouldn’t:

_“Henry?  Would you mind if I came over to see you?  I wanna see if you’re alright with my own eyes?”_ Oh damn. He wasn’t sure if he was up for this. He could flat out refuse, but that wouldn’t feel right.

“Umm, I dunno June. What about the girls?” He heard her huff over the line and he got a feeling that wasn’t going to work.

_“Jason is taking them to stay with their grandparents for a few weeks.  So, it’ll be just me.”_ She sighed softly. _“C'mon bro, I just want to make sure you’re really okay. Please.”_

Henry was hesitant. He really wanted to see her but he wasn’t sure how she would take to all the changes in his life. He didn’t think he could handle it if she turned her back on him out of fear. A light tap on his arm and a wave of calmness broke him out of his negative thoughts. Bendy was staring at him. He didn’t say a word, but he was letting Henry know through their bond that everything will be okay. Henry smiled at the little toon and gave him a slight nod.

“Ya know what? I’d love for you to come and spend time with me, sis. There are some things I need to tell you when you get here.” He heard her release a breath she must have been holding.  She probably thought he was going to say no.

_“Oh good.  I’ll be there in a few days.”_

Henry chuckled, “Just don’t break any traffic laws trying to get here.”

_“Oh come on! That only happened once or twice!”_ Henry could almost hear the pout in her voice. _“I’ll be more careful this time.”_

He just shook his head. “Whatever you say sis. Just get here safely. “ She agreed and hung up. Bendy was looking at him expectantly.

“Well, you’re gonna meet my sister in a few days.” The toon's face lit up. Henry could feel his excitement. He just hoped that everything would go smoothly.

  
**-OoOoOoOoO-**

  
June arrived at her brother’s home Saturday afternoon. She was anxious the whole drive there. Henry had a nasty habit of hiding things from her. Sometimes she wanted to shake him when he did that. She didn’t know if it was a macho thing or her brother just being stubborn. If things didn’t look right with him, she was getting to the bottom of it.

Henry had to tell Bendy to hide in the back room for just a moment. June didn’t take surprises very well. Knowing her, she’d throw something at the poor toon before he could get her to calm down. Bendy thought that was funny and did as he was told.

Henry opened his front door when he heard a car pull up into his driveway. He smiled as he watched his sister get out and pulled a small suitcase from the back seat. As soon as she laid her green eyes on him, a huge smile spread across her face. Henry was already out the door and walking up to her when she dropped her suitcase and threw her arms around him.

She didn’t say anything for quite awhile. She just hugged him tightly and buried her face into his chest. Henry smiled sadly. He must have really worried her. He let her go, picked up her suitcase and lead her into the house. He put her things near the steps before he was pulled into another hug.

“I’ve missed you bro. When I didn’t hear from you, I got a little scared.”

“I’m sorry June-Bug. I didn’t mean ta make ya worry. Something came up…”

June pulled away from him and looked him over. Henry looked tired. She could see shadows under his eyes. He was slouching slightly too. She was going to ask him what happened when she noticed something strange about his hands and forearms. She reached out and took his left hand. She turned it over, twisted it, and ran her fingers over the dark lines that looked like his veins.

“Henry? What is this?” Henry winced at the concern in her voice.

“June, I-“ he didn’t get the chance to explain when she went to examine his right hand. Henry didn’t miss the soft gasp she made when she discovered the pentagram in the palm of his hand. The veins there looked even darker as they spider webbed away from the brand. She ran shaky fingers over it before looking up at him. Her eyes were wide and fearful.

“June. I can explain or at least I can try. There are some things I still don’t understand.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and was relieved when she didn’t pull away.

“But first, I want you to meet someone.” She gave him a confused look. “Just trust me. He's part of my explanation.” Henry sighed and looked towards the back room. “Hey bud, can you come out here, please.”

June turned and watched as the door slowly opened. She thought she was seeing things when a short, black and white figure walked out of the room. Said figure had a nervous smile on his face and what looked like ears or maybe horns on top of his head. White gloves and bow tie completed his almost cartoon-ish look.

“Hi Mrs. June!” The little toon waved at her.

Henry watched as his sister backed up into him. This caused the little toon to stop in his tracks. He didn’t mean to scare her. Henry held her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s alright June-Bug. This is my friend, Bendy.” June looked back at him with her brow furrowed. He could tell she was trying to remember something by the way her eyes darted around.

“Bendy?” She looked back at the little toon before her eyes lit up in recognition. “Wait! Bendy, as in the cartoon character you used to draw for Joey?!” Bendy frowned at the mention of that man's name. She heard Henry say ‘yes’ softly but she was having a hard time believing it.

June let go of her brother’s hand and walked up to the little toon. Bendy looked up at her with a wary smile on his face. She reached out and hesitantly touched one of his horns. She was shaking her head. He felt real! She drew her hand back and turned towards her brother. Henry was running his fingers through his white patch of hair. “I think you’re gonna wanna sit down for this.”

They all sat at the kitchen table. Henry sighed and ran a hand down his face. “This all started when I got a letter from Joey.” June sat there quietly and listened to his story. He told her about the abandoned studio, the ink machine, and his first encounter with Bendy. Her eyes would dart over to the little toon only to find him staring at her. It was as if he was trying to gauge her reaction to Henry’s story.

In all honesty, she was a little angry. She couldn’t believe he went back there. After that big blow up he had with Joey, she thought he would have nothing to do with him or that place. She had a very low opinion of the man after that.

She noticed Henry was getting to parts of his story that he was struggling with. She’d been through this with him before. His time in the service had left him shaken. She knew better than to push him if he wasn’t ready to talk. June reached across the table and gripped his hand. “Hey, hey you don’t have to tell me everything tonight. I’ll be here for a few days. You just take your time, alright?”

Henry looked grateful. There were things that went on in the studio that still gave him nightmares. He decided that now was a good time to take a break. None of them had dinner yet, so he wanted to fix something.

As he got up from the table and puttered around the kitchen, he left his sister sitting at the table with the little toon. There was some tension there and June tried to break it. She cleared her throat to get his attention.

“So, are you really Bendy?” The little toon blinked in surprise before nodding.

“You know, Henry used to show me sketches of you while he was working at the studio.” She gave Bendy a soft smile. “I would go to see every one of your cartoons in the theater because I knew my brother worked on them.”

“Wait? Really?” Bendy couldn’t believe it.

“Yup. And your cartoons never failed to make me laugh.” Any tension in the room burst like an invisible bubble. The toon’s smile could light up the room. It made June laugh.

Henry watched the two out of the corner of his eye. He could feel his friend’s nervousness melt away as he listened to June. To her credit, she was trying to give the toon a chance, even if she didn’t trust him completely.

The rest of the evening went by rather smoothly. June told stories of them when they were children and Bendy was hanging off of every word.

“And I made the mistake of falling asleep on the grass. This joker-“ she thrusts her thumb in Henry’s direction. “gathered up a bunch of snails and put them on my face!”

Bendy turned to Henry with amusement dancing in his eyes. “Oh no. You didn’t do that!” Henry chuckled and the toon tried to hide his laughter behind gloved hands.

“Yeah he did!” June crossed her arms over her chest. “To this day, I’m still scared of snails!” The little toon fell out of his chair and rolled around on the floor laughing. The rest of the evening went by with funny stories and a good amount of chuckles.

June was starting to get tired. She wouldn’t tell Henry but she might have broken a few traffic laws to get there as fast as she did. All of that driving was starting to catch up to her. She had been to her brother’s home enough times to know where the guest room was, but Bendy was more than happy to show her the way. She was a little reluctant but followed him up the stairs, leaving Henry alone.

Henry was going to follow them but stopped at his large living room window. It was dark outside and a stiff breeze was causing the branches on the trees to sway. The palm of his right hand began to throb softly. This started to happen a few weeks ago. He rubbed his palm and stared out into the darkness. Maybe his time in the studio had left him paranoid, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. He shook his head and dismissed the thought. He was like this after he came home from the service too. It was just his mind playing tricks on him.

Henry moved away from the window and headed up the stair. He was tired and a good night's sleep would do him some good.

  
**-OoOoOoOoO-**

  
Sunday morning. June was used to getting up early because of the girls. Even thought she wasn’t home, her body was still on that darn schedule. She sighed and crawled out of bed. She gave up on trying to go back to sleep. She threw on a robe that she packed and left the guest room. June headed down stairs and straight for the kitchen.

June knew what she needed, coffee! She turned on the coffee maker and waited. Within ten minutes, she was sipping on the heavenly brew and finally felt awake enough to fix breakfast. June went to the fridge and pulled out a pack of bacon, a few eggs, and some milk. As she got out a loaf of bread from the breadbox, she heard someone walking into the kitchen. She looked over to see Bendy standing there. The little toon was trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He jumped a little when he noticed June standing there instead of Henry.

“Oh ah, good mornin' Mrs. June!” She chuckled and wished him the same. Bendy sat at the table and watched as cracked a few eggs in a bowl, added some milk, cinnamon, and a little sugar. He wasn’t sure what she was making as she mixed it all together. She went through a few cabinets before she found two frying pans. June placed them both on the stove and added cooking oil to one before heating them both up. The ink demon really got curious when she dipped a few slices of bread in the batter.

“Um, Mrs. June? What are ya makin'?” She turned to him with a cheeky grin. She told him he’ll find out when she was done. This caused the toon to whine and lay his head down on the table. He really wanted to know now!

June placed the batter soaked bread in the pan with hot oil and slices of bacon in the other pan. Soon the kitchen was filled with such delicious smells that it made the toon's mouth water. Even Henry managed to wander into the kitchen at the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

“Mmm G'mornin' everyone.” Both June and Bendy wished him a good morning as he made his way over to the coffee machine. He poured some of the coffee into a mug and sipped the dark brew. He looked over his sister’s shoulder to see what she was cooking and smiled.

“Huh, sticking to tradition I see.” June just smiled and waved him off. Henry grabbed a few plates, silverware, and a glass of orange juice for Bendy and set them up on the table. He also dug the maple syrup out of the cabinet before taking a seat next to the toon.

“Hey Henry, do you know what she’s cooking?” Henry gave his friend a lazy smile.

“Yup… but you’ll find out soon. She's almost done.”

“Aww c'mon! Not you too!” The toon grumbled before crossing his arms over his chest. Henry just chuckled and told his friend to be patient.

Within a few minutes June came to the table with a large plate stacked with the strange toast she was cooking on the stove and several slices of bacon. She placed a few slices of both on Bendy’s plate and told him to pour a little syrup over it.

Henry and June fixed their plates but sat back and waited for the toon’s reaction. Bendy poked at the food. It all smelled so good. He cut a piece off of the sweet smelling toast and bit into it. His pie cut eyes grew very wide. There were different flavors dancing on his tongue. He looked up to see the siblings staring at him with the same expression on their faces. It was almost startling.

“This is really good Mrs. June! What is it?” He took another piece and shoveled it into his mouth.

“It’s called French Toast.” She smiled and began eating her own food.

“Yup. Mom would make this for us every Sunday mornin’.” Henry took another sip of his coffee before slicing into his own French Toast.

There were hums of appreciation from the little toon that made June smile. He was so child-like, it was almost endearing. Still, there was something about him that kept her from trusting him completely. She couldn’t put her finger on it besides the obvious. A living cartoon was anything but normal. There was just something there that put her on edge. Hopefully, Henry would tell her more about his little friend.

After breakfast, the dishes were washed, and June and Henry went to their respective rooms to get dressed. It was a nice day so they all sat out on the front porch. Henry asked about June’s family and she happily fished out some pictures for him and Bendy to see. The little toon seemed excited to hear that Henry had two little nieces. He asked if he could meet them some day. June shot her brother an unreadable look. He knew what she was thinking but told the toon “Maybe some day.”

Later on, some neighborhood kids ran up and asked if Bendy wanted to play. The little toon jumped at the chance and ran off with the children. June looked very concerned but Henry put his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s alright. He’s actually good with children. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt them.” June gave him a skeptical look but trusted her brother’s judgement. As she looked on, she realized the toon was a big kid at heart. The children weren’t afraid of him at all. They played games and chased each other all afternoon. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he met her girls. She still wanted to know more about him.

Afternoon bled into evening. The kids head home for the night. Henry decided to throw some meat on the grill since it was such a nice evening. They all sat in the backyard and chatted while they waited for the food to be done. June couldn’t believe how much the little toon loved hotdogs. She told him to slow down when he tried to stuff half the dog in his mouth. Henry just watched it all with a soft smile on his face.

Soon it was time to clean up. Henry needed to get up in the morning. He wanted to be well rested for work. Bendy helped June take some things back into the house, but Henry found himself just standing there. The pentagram in his hand began to throb again and that feeling of being watched was getting stronger. As far as he could tell, nothing was there and yet…

“Hey bro, you alright?” June walked up behind him. He didn’t miss the fact that she took his left hand and not his right. She'd been trying to avoid the pentagram in his palm ever since she laid eyes on it.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just thought…” He sighed and shook his head. There was nothing there. “Ya know what, never mind. Let’s just head in. I’m just tired.” June frowned but didn’t want to argue. He gave her hand a soft squeeze and they headed for the back door. Neither one noticed something dark had slithered across the path and disappeared into the bushes.

  
**-OoOoOoOoO-**

  
During the week, Henry would leave for work in the morning. June would be left in the house with the little toon, alone. It wasn’t as bad as she thought. He would ask her a bunch of questions about herself or Henry when they were young. He would help her around the house or outside with the poor neglected flowerbed in the front. She would fix them lunch and the toon would be finished just in time to play with the kids in the afternoon.

Henry would come home to find June pulling weeds or in the kitchen getting dinner ready. It was all so normal and kinda nice. He could even feel a certain calmness from Bendy when June was around. He was growing fond of her. Henry even caught his sister patting the little toon on the head as she walked by. All of this made him wish he had called her sooner.

At night he would tell her a little more about his time trapped in the studio. He told her about the first time Bendy was able to leave his page. He described the transformation and how the toon saved his life. June knew there was more to the living cartoon but she wasn’t expecting that. She tried really hard not to stare at him when Henry mentioned the first time the toon lost control. A quick glance showed the toon wringing his gloved hands together. He looked very apologetic and Henry had to tell him that it wasn’t his fault.

June noticed he hadn’t mentioned the pentagram on his hand yet. She would see him rubbing his palm like it hurt but when she asked, he’d tell her it was nothing. She didn’t believe him but she had to be patient. She had a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t going to like it.

He did tell her about the strange bond he shared with the little toon. June found that very interesting. Henry told her really strong emotions can be felt easier than subtle ones. They were still trying to figure things out but that bond saved their life more than once.

More and more she was beginning to wonder what Henry had gotten himself into. He seemed so calm while she was feeling a little out of her depth.

 

**-OoOoOoOoO-**

  
It was a quiet Friday night. The week had gone by pleasantly well. Henry had managed to tell his sister about some of the things that went on in the studio. He actually felt lighter getting some of that stuff out in the open. Still, there was one thing he hadn’t told her yet. The pentagram. He wasn’t sure how he was going to describe what it does. Deep down, he was afraid she would think he was a monster. She was the only family he had left. He didn’t want to loose her.

It didn’t help that his hand was throbbing more and more or that that feeling of being watched was getting worse. He didn’t want to say anything to Bendy or June because he didn’t want to worry them over nothing.

June watched as Henry stood by the large living room window. He seemed to be staring out into the moonless night. Every once and awhile he would rub the palm of his right hand or tighten it into a fist. She wondered if he knew he was doing that. Bendy was sitting on the floor, trying to read a book. He would look over at Henry with a look of concern on his face. That’s how June knew, she wasn’t the only one that thought something was wrong.

June walked up to Henry and tapped him on the back. He turned to her and the look in his eyes was very distant. He sighed softly and scratched the back of his head.

“Um, sis? I need to talk to you. About this…” He pointed to the pentagram on his palm. June understood how hard this must be for him, but she was glad he was going to tell her.

“You know what? You go ahead and sit on the couch and I’ll grab us a couple of beers, alright?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks sis.”

As June headed for the kitchen, she noticed Bendy had put his book down. When Henry sat down on the couch, the little toon sat down next to him. He kept telling Henry that everything was going to be alright. Henry smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She shook her head. She was doing a good job of keeping an open mind, but they were making her nervous.

She spent about a minute looking in the fridge when she realized there were no beers in there. “I’m sorry bro. We’re out of beer.” She grumbled.

“Um, I have another fridge in the garage. I should have some in there.” He started to get up when June told him she could get it. He wanted to argue but she was already heading for the door that connected the garage to the side of the house.

June opened the door and flipped on the light switch. It blinked a few times before the dim light steadied. She looked around. There were cardboard boxes stacked in the corners. A work bench was off to the side with metal pipes laying on top of it. She found the fridge standing against the wall to her right.

She walked over to it, opened the door, and began rummaging through its contents. June was so caught up in what she was doing, she didn’t notice a dark substance oozing from under the garage door. She didn’t hear the soft squishing sound the puddle made as it stretched towards her. June pulled two bottles out and took a step back when her foot came into contact with something wet.

“What the hell?” She looked down at her feet. Whatever it was, it was black and very shiny.  It almost looked like oil. A splashing sound caught her attention and she watched in horror as something began to rise up out of the dark pool…

 

* * *

 

“She’ll understand, Henry.”

“I hope so bud.” Henry was trying to stamp down the panic that was threatening to make him back out. Bendy was doing his best to keep him calm and he really appreciated that.

“She’s a swell lady. She won’t abandon you. You’re her brother and she loves you.” The toon had a very serious look on his face.

“You’re right bud. I just hope-“

Henry and Bendy jumped when they heard a high pitched scream and a crashing sound from the garage. Henry was already up and running towards the door with the toon hot on his heels. He pushed the door open and froze at what he saw:

The fridge was knocked over and the contents were floating in a pool of… ink?! His head shot up when he heard a soft hissing sound near the garage door.

There was a tall, skinny, ink covered figure standing there.

“J-June?!” The creature was hunched over with June's still body slung over its shoulder. It was staring at him. At least he thought it was. It didn’t have eyes!

“LET HER GO!” He shouted at the unknown figure. Anger and panic began to blossom in his chest. If anything happened to her, it would be all his fault!

He managed to take a single step when clawed hands shot out of the puddle and grabbed him. Bendy yelped as he was grabbed and pulled down to the ground. Henry tried to reach his sister but more claws and strong arms wrapped around him.

He watched in horror as the unknown figure reached down and pulled the garage's sliding door upward. It took one step outside before it looked back at him.

“Please! Don’t take her, please PLEASE!” Henry was practically begging the creature not to take her way. The figure seemed to shake it’s featureless head. It ducked under the open door before letting it fall to the ground with a crash. Just like that, his sister was gone.

Henry stopped struggling. He stood there, frozen in place. He could barely hear Bendy calling out to him or the moans of misshapen bodies rising out of the ink. His mind was reeling. She was gone. His sister was gone! Taken by the same evil he thought he left behind when he escaped the studio.

“NO!” Henry's eyes shut tight and he gritted his teeth. He would NOT let this happen.

“NO NO NO! June! _ **JUNE!**_ ” As he opened his eyes, the green flashed to red and he could feel his canines elongate. He would get his sister back! Heaven help anyone that got in his way!

  
.  
.  
.  
.

To be concluded.

 


	2. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry and Bendy rushes out into the night to find June. Little do they know, they'll be running into an old enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is separate from my Slice of Life fics. It's based on the ink! Henry AU created by @shinyzango and @themarginalartist on tumblr.

Moving.

Have to keep moving.

The searchers won’t keep them occupied for long.

The tall figure moved swiftly down the empty streets. He avoided the streetlights and stuck to the shadows. He had studied this neighborhood for weeks so he knew where he was going.

A few minutes later and he could see the entrance to the town’s old sewer system. He reached out and pulled the rusted grate open and ducked inside, closing it behind him.

This part of the tunnel was a little cramped for his tall frame. It didn’t help that he had an unconscious woman slung over his shoulder. He walked fifteen feet before the tunnel emptied into a much larger part of the sewer. There was debris and leaves all over the ground. Dim lights could be seen strung up against the walls. More than likely for the workers that maintained the inner workings of this place.

There were offshoots to the right and left of where he stood. He took the left tunnel. This place had become his temporary home, so he wasn’t going to get lost. There was splotches of ink on the walls and puddles of it on the ground. The puddles rippled as he walked by but that was it.

This tunnel ended into a huge maintenance area. The ceiling was high with thick pipes that crisscrossed overhead. Some of the pipes were sticking out of the ground with valves attached to them. A generator for the lights was up against the wall and there was a loud knocking sounds from water or waste moving through them. More puddles of ink sat very still under discarded piles newspapers and dead leaves. To anyone else, they were hidden, but he could feel their presence.

He made his way to another tunnel at the back of the area. He had to crouch to move in this portion of the corridor. It twist and turned for a few moments before he came to a rusted door. He pushed it open easily with a loud creak.

This room was probably used as storage but a homeless person had used it as their makeshift home. There was a dirty mattress on the ground in one corner of the small room. Clothes and more newspapers littered the concrete ground. The person managed to tap into the electrical system and string a few lights in here as well. It wasn’t very bright, but it served its purpose.

He walked over to the mattress and gently laid the woman down on it. She moaned softly but didn’t come to. This tender sheep wasn’t his intended target, but the rest of the flock will come for her. He backed away and sat on the other side of the room. The dim light didn’t reach there and he was concealed in deep shadows.

He reached under some dirty rags and pulled out a familiar piece of cardboard. It had the face of the one he once called his ‘Lord’ etched onto it. He knew better now. He was surprised at how much clarity he gained after his death.

He was Samuel Lawrence. A self proclaimed prophet that once served a demon of ink and blood. He spent his days sacrificing to it and begging to be freed from the ink that covered his body and stole his humanity.

Then one day a mockery of his ‘Lord' rose up and struck him down to save that old animator. In that instance, he was granted the freedom that he longed for. The fog that clouded his mind was gone and he was confronted with everything he did. He was at peace and gladly let himself fade into nothingness.

Then he felt a tug on his very soul. The darkness swirled and pushed against him. He could feel his very essence begin twisted and pulled like taffy through a machine. It hurt, it hurt so much! It felt like forever before he was deposited onto a cold, wooden floor. A familiar place he never wanted to come back to. The Studio.

That’s when he felt it. A body was reforming around his soul. He screamed within his own mind. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to be trapped again! Bone, ink, and his soul fused together to create something that vaguely looked human. He was too tall, too gangly, clawed hands, clawed feet, and legs that were jointed awkwardly. The worse part was, as a punishment for his past failures, they took away his ability to speak. His ‘mouth’ opened vertically. It started at where his nose should be and opened down, down, down. It was like a zipper made of sharp teeth being pulled down his body. It ended under his belly. He was nothing but a gaping maw that was hollow on the inside. He was in anguish. He was willing to take any punishment but this.

He was no longer the fool he was back then. He was no prophet or even a servant, he was a slave. Just a little above the searchers that roamed the rotted halls.

He was instructed by his ‘master’ to find the wayward sheep that escaped the studio and take his life. If he succeeded, he would be free. Heh, yeah right! He’d heard those lies before but there was nothing he could do. He was bound to the ink, again.

It took him and the searchers under his command a few weeks of slithering through sewage systems and darkened streets at night to find his old coworker. He knew where he lived because of the letter Joey sent him. He spent another month watching the old animator and the little toon he brought home with him.

Henry. That was his name. He remembered now. The man was always on edge. It made it hard to actually sneak up on him. It was as if he could sense the searchers hiding in the dark. He was patient. He could wait until the time was right. That chance presented itself when a woman came to his home. Sammy didn’t know who she was, but she must have been close to Henry. He watched as the normally wary man, ignored his own senses when she was around. That was the perfect time to strike!

Another soft moan pulled him from his thoughts. He looked over to see the woman. She was coming to. Good, he wanted to get a better look at her. He stood up and shuffled over to the mattress. He crouched down and waited…

 

**-J*J*J*J*J-**

 

June moaned. Her head hurt and she was laying down on something stiff. She slowly sat up. She reached behind her head to feel a bump forming there. June managed to get herself into a sitting position before she tried opening her eyes. It was dim and her eye sight was a little fuzzy. Where was she? She turned when she realized something was looming next to her. She had to blink a few times to clear her vision but when she did, she wanted to scream…

 

**-S*S*S*S*S-**

 

Ah, green eyes. Just like Henry's. Sammy watched as those green eyes grew wide and she curled away from him on the dirty mattress. He could pinpoint the exact moment she wanted to scream. He needed to stop that right now.

He lifted a single clawed finger to where his lips would have been. He opened his mouth just enough to let out a low hissing sound. She fell completely silent at the sight and he knew he got his message across.

He stood up and walked away from her. He went to the only door that lead in or out of the room and sat down with his back against it. And he waited…

 

  
**-Meanwhile-**

 

  
Bendy was calling out to his friend. He was just standing there, in shock. For a few moments he felt nothing over their bond. Then something snapped and it all hit the little toon like a ton of bricks. Rage! Rage and guilt swirled through his mind and it wasn’t his emotions. It was Henry's! He watched as his friend broke loose of the searchers' hold, grabbed a lead pipe off of the work table, and started swinging it like a bat.

Bendy could feel the clawed hands let him go as they went after the more immediate threat. The little toon backed up into the doorway and stayed there. Henry was on a rampage and he didn’t want to get caught in the middle of that. He was swinging at anything that moved. He smashed them into the floor or their inky bodies went flying into the wall. All the while he snarled and he bore sharp fangs at his enemies. Henry rarely got angry, but when he did, it was scary.

It grew quiet after Henry cut the last searcher in half with the lead pipe and it melted back into a puddle of ink. Bendy peaked out from the doorway to find his friend standing in the middle of the mess. Ink was splattered along his arms and pant legs. He was breathing heavily and he had a tight grip on the lead pipe.

"Henry?” The toon approached the man cautiously. Henry didn’t say a word. He walked over to the garage door, threw it open, and stepped outside. Bendy winced at the anger that beats against his mental walls. Henry was usually the calm one in their bond but not now. Anger, guilt, and panic were swirling together like a storm. It left the toon shaken. Even Henry’s eyes were different. The white part was black and it made the green almost glow.

Henry was standing in the driveway, looking around. He had no idea which direction the creature went in. He didn’t want to waste time running around, but he didn’t know what else to do. A light touch at his left hand reminded him he wasn’t alone. He took a few deep breaths to try to reign in his emotions. His eyes even returned to normal. He looked down to see Bendy staring up at him. There was a look of concern and determination written all over his face. Henry just shook his head.

“We have to find her bud! I-I just don’t know where to start…” He ran his fingers through his hair out of frustration.

Bendy gave his hand a squeeze to get his attention. “Leave it to me! Just wait here for a minute.” Bendy let go and began darting around the area. Henry watched as the little toon zoomed around the place. He went from one darkened corner to another faster then Henry ever could. It was a toon thing that the man was grateful his friend possessed. Soon Bendy stopped at a spot near the curb and called Henry over. The toon was pointing at what looked like inky splotched on the concrete. The slight splatter seemed to be going in a certain direction. It was heading up the street. Henry sighed softly and realized they had a trail to follow.

“Thank you.” He ruffled his fingers between the toon's horns. Henry’s grip tightened around the lead pipe before he growled out, ”Lets get my sister back!”

Bendy ran ahead of Henry. He was able to stick to the inky trail even though the creature tried to move through the shadows. Henry wasn't too far behind. He kept an eye on his toon friend while staying alert in case something tried to jump out at them.

After a few moments he realized where they were heading. The sewers. They reached the entrance to the tunnel and found the rusted grate covering it, pried open. They found more ink on the ground and against the wall of the concrete tunnel.

“Alright buddy, be ready for anything.” Bendy nodded and followed Henry into the tunnel.

They made it through the tunnel and came out into a larger room. It was too quiet save for the rustling of leaves and garbage under their feet. They walked halfway across the room when they heard a gurgling noise. The debris around them began to move and they could see dark shapes reaching out to them.

“Searchers!” Henry yelled out as he readied the lead pipe in his hands. He swung at the first searcher that got too close, taking its head clean off…

 

**-S*S*S*S*S-**

 

Sammy’s head shot up. He felt one of his sentries go down. Seems the rest of the flock was here. He grabbed the mask before he stood up.

He heard a soft gasp from the other side of the room. The woman was watching him. He glanced in her direction. She was curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were wide and her body shook slightly.

He turned to the rusted door, wrenched it open and ducked out into the tunnel. He slammed the door shut and prepared to meet his old coworker up ahead.

 

**-J*J*J*J*J-**

 

June didn’t know what was going on. She was trying to be as still as possible so she wouldn’t attract the thing's attention. It kept toying with a piece of cardboard in its long fingers and made a strange hissing sound. Then all of a sudden, it got up and just walked out of the room. She wasn't sure if she should move or not.

She waited a few more minutes before sliding off the dirty mattress. June tip toed over to the door and tried to pull it open. It wouldn’t budge. She pulled and screamed for someone to help her, but nobody came. The woman banged on the door out of frustration. She had to get out. She had to find Henry!

A splashing sound caught her attention. She turned to see puddles of ink by her feet. The dark liquid was running down the walls too. Why hadn't she noticed that!? They weren’t there before! June backed away from the door. She expected something to grab her, but nothing happened. Still, she ran to the corner near the mattress. She huddled down onto the floor. She was shaking badly. All June could do, was wait…

 

**-HB*HB*HB*HB*HB-**

 

Henry was panting heavily. The pipe in his hand was slick with ink. The stuff was splattered over his arms and his shirt. He didn’t care. All he wanted was his sister back! Bendy stood next to him. The little toon wanted to join the fight but Henry told him not to. There were only a few searchers and he didn’t want him to change forms unless he really needed to. Henry had a feeling things were going to get rough from here on out.

They found two tunnels at the end of the room. Bendy noticed a trail of ink going down the left tunnel, so that’s the one they took. Even though there were a string of lights embedded into the walls, it was still very dim. It was putting the duo on edge.

They soon came out to a larger room. There were crossbeams and pipes above their head and pipes with valves coming out of the ground. There was a layer of leaves and other garbage that crackled under their feet.

“Henry…” Bendy stood close to the man's side. “I don’t like this. It doesn’t feel right.”

“I know bud, I know.” Henry could feel it too. They weren’t alone.

A soft hissing sound was coming from the other end of the room. A tall figure was hunched over and shuffled in their direction. Henry recognized it as soon as it stepped out into the dim light. It was the same creature that took his sister.

“Where is my sister!?” He growled out as the ink creature stared at him. It just stood there and it was starting to piss him off. After a few second of silence, it lifted a clawed hand and that put Henry on edge. He held the lead pipe in both hands. He wanted to be ready when it attacked. Instead, it tossed something at them.

The yellowing piece of cardboard landed a few feet from Henry. He wouldn’t take his eyes off the creature but Bendy moved to get a closer look. The toon gasped and took a step back. Henry’s eyes darted over to his friend and he could see the shocked expression on his face.

“What’s wrong bud?” Bendy was standing so close to him, he could feel him shaking. Something really spooked the little toon.

“H-Henry! It’s a mask.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “The same kind Sammy wore…” He took a quick look down and could see Bendy’s face staring back at him. It was faded, cracked, and the teeth was missing, but there was no mistake. It was the same masked that gave them both nightmares. Henry looked up with his brow furrowed. It couldn't be… “Sammy?”

The creature pointed a clawed finger at Henry then began to clap its hands. He couldn’t believe it and he wasn’t the only one.

“You c-can't be him! Sammy is DEAD! I-“ Bendy was clutching at his head. Ink was running down the side of his face. He knew he did it to save Henry, but not a day went by where he regretted taking the man’s life. He’d never killed someone before and he took it pretty hard afterwards. A hand on his shoulder and a wave of calm broke him out of his spiraling thoughts.

“Bendy. I need you to find my sister.” Henry tilted his head towards the tunnel at the other end of the room. “As soon as you reach her, get her out of here.”

The toon looked surprised. He didn’t want to leave his friend alone with… Sammy. The man gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Please bud.”

Bendy sighed and reluctantly agreed. He didn’t like the thought of leaving his friend alone, but Henry was really worried about June's safety. The toon walked around Sammy. The inky creature didn’t move from his spot but Bendy knew he was watching him. When he thought he had enough room, he dashed towards the other tunnel opening.

“Sammy.” Henry brandished the pipe and made sure he had the creature’s attention. “Just let me take my sister home. I don’t wanna fight you…”

Sammy shook his head and crouched low. He was hissing softly and flexing his claws.

Henry knew he wouldn’t back down, but he had to try. He gripped the pipe in both hands and got ready for the attack that he knew was coming. He didn’t have to wait long as Sammy leapt at him-!

 

**-BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ-**

 

Bendy was rushing down the concrete tunnel. He followed the smears of ink on the wall that must have come from Sammy scraping against it. The tunnel twisted and turned but luckily it didn’t branch off anywhere. He didn’t have to worry about getting lost.

A few minutes later, he came up to a rusted metal door. It had a large inky hand print against it. This had to be the place. He grabbed the handle and pushed. The door felt stuck, but he wasn’t about to give up. He backed up a few steps and rammed the door! He had to do it two more times before it finally swung open. The door hit the wall with a crash that seemed to echo throughout the quiet tunnel.

The toon winced and poked his head into the room. At first he didn’t see anything. Then he heard a sniffling sound and saw June curled up in the corner.

“Mrs. June!” He called out to her. June's eyes grew wide when she realized who it was. “Bendy?!” The little toon dashed across the room and gave her a hug. She was shaking but she wrapped her arms around him. He was so glad she was alright. He pulled away and took her by the hand. He helped her to her feet and tugged her towards the door.

“C'mon! I’m getting you out of here!” June just nodded and followed the little toon. They made it halfway across the room when the puddles on the ground began to ripple and moan. Clawed hands and misshapen heads began to emerge from the small pools.

June screamed and Bendy pushed her back. Ink was dripping from the ceiling and running down the walls until a group of searchers were shuffling towards them.

“Mrs. June, stay behind me. I’m not gonna let them hurt you!” She backed up until she was against the wall. She gasped as she watched Bendy transform into a hulking monster. The room they were in wasn’t very big to begin with, but Bendy made it feel even more cramped. He was hunched over but his back was almost scraping the ceiling. He had his massive hands balled into fists and he was growling deeply at the ink creatures.

Henry told her the toon demon could do this, but seeing it with her own eyes was completely different. She watched in awe as he slammed his massive fists down on a group of searchers. He smashed them into paste before he swung around and thrown a few into the wall. He let out a room shaking roar and used his body to block June from their view.

June was surprised the toon was going out of his way to protect her. She did notice something strange about the ink creatures. They didn’t attack her. Even when one slid down the wall right next to her, it ignored her and went right for Bendy. They were coming at him from all sides like they were trying to swarm him. She couldn’t just sit back and let that happen, but what could she do?

Looking around frantically when she noticed a broken chair leg sticking out of a pile of clothes. She grabbed it and was holding it in shaking hands. The searchers weren’t paying attention to her. Maybe she could use that to her advantage-

 

**-HS*HS*HS*HS*HS-**

 

Henry wasn’t expecting a creature as gangly as Sammy to move so fast. More than once he had to use the lead pipe to block a blow meant for his head. Sammy hissed at him and tried to take another swipe at his head, but Henry ducked at the last minute, and hit the back of Sammy’s knee with the pipe. The creature screeched as his leg buckled. He fell to one knee just as Henry swung around and hit him in the head with the end of the pipe.

Sammy should have known the ex-soldier could still put up a fight. He was stunned by the blow to his head. He needed a minute to recover so he let out a low hiss.

The leaves and papers around Henry’s feet began to shift. Hidden searchers reached out and grabbed the man’s leg, tripping him up. Henry fell flat on his back and the ink creatures were on him. He grunted, rolled to kick one searcher away, and swung at the other. He hit it hard enough to make it fell apart. Henry got to his feet just in time to avoid getting smothered by two more searchers.

Henry finished off the other two when a large clawed hand grabbed him by his hair and yanked him back. He was cursing in his mind because he let Sammy sneak up on him. Henry cocked his arm back and delivered a hard blow to the tall creature’s gut with the lead pipe. Sammy doubled over in surprise and let go of Henry’s hair.

Now was his chance! Henry held the pipe like a bat hoping to hit Sammy hard enough to put him down for good. He went to swing at the ink creature’s head but Sammy’s long arm shot out and he caught Henry’s pipe in his large hand. He gave a quick twist wrenching the pipe out of his hand and tossed it across the room. Sammy used his other hand to grab Henry by the throat. He stood up to his full height, Henry's legs dangling a few feet off the ground, before slamming him down onto the concrete floor.

Henry had the wind knocked out of him. There were dark spots swimming before his eyes. His body spasmed as pain shot up his spine. He could barely breath with the tight grip Sammy had on his throat. There was pressure on his hips as the ink creature straddled him and effectively held him down.

Henry blinked a few times to try to clear his vision. Sammy was leaning over him hissing when he opened his ‘mouth’. His eyes grew wide as a gaping maw opened up nearly the length of Sammy’s body. It was at that moment, Henry knew what was planned for him. Ink and drool dripped down on him as the corrupted body hovered over him.

NO! He can’t let this happen! His sister was counting on him. He had to make sure she was safe. He made promises to Bendy that he needed to keep. He can’t give up, not now!

Just then, he could feel it. Something was feeding off his need to protect his family. Henry had felt this presence before. It was always there, pushing him on when things got tough. Feeding into his anger and often saving his life or the lives of those he desperately wanted to protect.  Henry won’t fight it this time.

The throbbing in his hand was more persistent now. The pain from it helped to clear his mind enough to grab at Sammy’s claw. It was like prying open a steel trap, but he had to try. Henry didn’t notice the ink running down his arm. The ink wasn’t coming from the creature hunched over him, but the pentagram on his palm.

Ink began to flow from each point on the pentagram. It flowed around his hand, engulfing it in a gelatinous barrier between his skin and Sammy’s teeth and claws. He grabbed Sammy by the wrist and squeezed. The ink creature hissed loudly because it felt like Henry was crushing his wrist. Sammy was confused. Where was he getting the strength to do this? He looked into the man’s eyes and nearly backed away. The white part was completely black and the green of his eye flashed from green to red.

Henry squeezed Sammy’s wrist and he cried out in pain. The ink creature reared back just enough for Henry to lift his leg and deliver a hard kick to Sammy’s side. He only let go of the creature when it rolled off of him. By the time he got to his feet, the ink covered his broadening chest and had both arms incased, with the right arm being larger than the left. The ink from the searchers he bashed into the ground was flowing up his legs and actually added to his height. His legs and feet grew thicker as well. Ink was flowing down the right side of his face, leaving his left eye exposed. The green was gone, replaced with the fiery glow of red in the pitch darkness.

Henry’s posture went from a slouch to straight as he flexed his massive fists. Henry growled deeply as he bared long, sharp fangs at Sammy. Rage was written all over his face.

Sammy stood up slowly. He watched as Henry got into a fighter's stance. He wasn’t expecting this, but he has to keep going. He had his orders. Sammy let’s out a loud hiss as he brandished his claws and gnashed his sharp teeth. Henry’s answering roar shook the walls and he rushed towards his enemy-!

 

**-BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ*BJ-**

 

Bodies flew into walls and the force made them splatter into ink blots before sliding down to the ground. There were a lot of searchers in this small room, but Bendy would take them all on! He wouldn’t let anything happen to June. She was family to him, whether she knew it or not.

The searchers were dropping down on him from the ceiling and surrounding him. They were trying to overwhelm him but won’t let them. Bendy heard moans and splashing from behind him. He was ready to swing at whatever was trying to sneak up behind him when he caught sight of June standing there with a piece of wood in her hand. The searchers were so busy trying to take him down, they didn’t notice June sneaking up behind them to smash their heads in.

Bendy's grin grew wider as he heard her scream and took a few wild swings at the inky creatures. The toon had flashed back to a time where Henry had his back in the Studio. They made a great team as they made sure they both got out of any situation alive. It warmed something deep inside of him to see June doing the same thing.

Within a few minutes, they managed to take out all of the searchers in the room. June’s legs were covered in ink as well as her arms and part of her hair. She had a death grin on the piece of wood in her hands. June was breathing heavily and her eyes looked a little wild. She kept looking around as though she expected something to slither out of the shadows.

Bendy whined softly to get her attention. He gave her two ‘Thumbs Up!’ and the cheesiest grin he could muster. June just stared at him for a moment, then she started to laugh. It was the kind of laugh someone who had just survived a life or death situation would do. A few stray tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to push her hair out of her face. “Heh, t-thanks Bendy.”

The ink monster patted her back lightly and nodded. For her first run in with searchers, she did alright. The somewhat quiet of the room was shattered by a roar so loud, it shook the room. June jumped and dropped her weapon. She pressed her hands against her chest and backed up into Bendy. “What was that?!”

Bendy's body went completely still. He knew exactly what that was. Henry! He could feel the man’s anger flowing through their bond. There was also something else there, feeding and fueling that anger, making it stronger. This wasn’t the first time he’d felt this presence. If it was around, then things must be really bad.

“Bendy?” June’s soft voice caught his attention. He looked down to see her staring up at him. Fear and concern graced her face. “What is it? Is it Henry?” The large ink demon huffed and nodded. He didn’t want to lie to her.

“If he’s in trouble, we need to find him!” Bendy shook his head vigorously. He promised Henry he’d get her to safety.

“Bendy! You need to help him!” He whined softly and looked out the door. She was right, but what about his promise? If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. He felt a light touch on his forearm. He looked down to see June standing closer to him.

“Please Bendy. I-I promise to stay out of the way. Just, help him.” He sighed and relented. Bendy ducked and managed to squeeze his large body through the doorway and out into the hall. June followed close behind. She froze when she realized she didn’t know where she was or how she even got here in the first place.

“Which way do we go?” her voice wavered a little bit. She hated the feeling of being lost. A soft murmur got her attention before a huge hand wrapped around her. She gasped as Bendy lifted her up and sat her on his shoulder. He tilted his head toward her and she got the hint. June held onto his horn as they sped down the corridor.

June was shaking slightly as a question bounced through her head. _‘Did that creature carry me all the way here?’_ That made a shiver run up her spine.

Bendy slid to a stop when another loud roar and something big hitting a wall caused the tunnel to shudder. He lifted his large hand over June to shield her from the pieces of rust and concrete raining down on them. When it stopped, he kept moving.

Soon they came to the entrance way to the maintenance area. The lighting was dim here and they could barely make out the silhouettes of two creatures wrestling in the middle of the room. Bendy approached with caution. He could feel June’s grip tightening on his horn. As they got closer, they could both see what was going on.

Bendy watched in awe as Henry grabbed Sammy by his midsection and tossed him into a generator. Electricity coursed through his inky body before he fell to the floor. Sammy moaned and stood up slowly on shaky legs as more lights overhead went out. He hissed his displeasure, turned, and scaled the wall like a giant lizard. He disappeared among the overhead pipes and shadows.

Henry was furious! He slammed his huge fist against the wall, leaving the concrete cracked. He growled and stomped around the area. He was looking up at the darkened ceiling in the hopes of getting a glimpse of the slippery ink creature.

June couldn’t believe what she was seeing. That couldn’t be her brother standing there. It looked like him, somewhat. He was way bigger than her brother. Covered in ink with huge muscular arms and hands big enough to crush her without a second thought. He panted and growled as he paced the area. He was so busy looking for the creature that took her that he didn’t notice them standing there.

June was scared. She didn’t know what was going on. If this thing was indeed her brother… what happened to him!? June curled up against Bendy’s shoulder as she tried to get her shaking under control. The ink demon must have sensed her distress because he reached up and pressed his fingers lightly against her shoulder. She really appreciated the gesture.

June noticed movement among the pipes. She wasn’t thinking when she yelled, “HENRY, LOOK OUT!” and pointed to something just above his head. He crouched down and lifted his right arm above his head. Sammy fell on top of him with his mouth agape. He clamped down on Henry’s larger arm instead of his head.

Henry smirked as he stood up and swung his arm down, slamming Sammy down onto the ground. The force of which made the entire room shake and left the ink creature in a daze.

Henry growled and stared down at his fallen enemy. How dare he put his family in danger. Why couldn’t he and Bendy be left alone! Then he dragged his sister into all of this!

The more he stared, the angrier he got. All of a sudden, he thrust his smaller hand into the gaping mouth near Sammy’s stomach. The creature writhed under him as he dug through the thick ink of his body to find something solid to grab onto. He found something and wrapped his fingers around it before yanking it out.

Sammy let loose an ear piercing scream as Henry pulled out part of his spine and sinew that was holding it all together. He lost the feeling in his legs. Henry was just standing there, glowing red eye boring a hole in his tattered soul. A gasp and a soft whine caused him to twist his upper body towards the sound.

The mockery of his ‘Lord’ stood a few feet away and growled at him. He had the woman, Henry’s sister, perched on his shoulder. She looked horrified. Green eyes wide and a hand covering her mouth.

Looks like he lost this game. The flock managed to rescue one of there own from the wolf in their midst. There was no reason for him to keep fighting, even if he wasn’t hurt so badly. He turned back to Henry and hissed softly. The man growled at him and balled his hands into massive fists.

Sammy’s last thought before he let his body dissolved, _‘This isn’t over._ ’. He let his ink slip through a grate hidden underneath the garbage. He’d heal. It would just take time.

Henry’s visible eye scanned the ground for anymore movement. Everything had grown still and the only sounds that could be heard was his heavy breathing and the sewage moving through the pipes above. He finally looked up to see Bendy and June staring at him. His rage slowly ebbed away as a wave of relief washed over him. She wasn’t hurt! Bendy had kept her safe! Gratitude filled the bond between them and the ink demon’s grin grew even wider.

Bendy turned his head slightly towards June. She looked really scared and very lost. He whined softly to get her attention. His visible eye swiveled down to ground before looking back at her. He reached up and wrapped his hand around her and placed her gently on the ground. She turned to him with a questioning gaze. He gave her a warm smile and waved his large hand in Henry’s direction.

Henry watched as his sister turned back to him. Her arms and legs were covered in ink. Her clothes were a little torn, but other than that, she looked unharmed. His relief from earlier was being replaced with concern as she stood there. June was shaking and she didn’t come any closer to him. She was shaking and her eyes kept roaming over him. It was then he realized that she had seen everything. She was afraid… of him.

He knelt down and rested his right arm on his knee. He held out the smaller left hand to her. **“It’s me, June-Bug.”**

June's breath hitched. It sounded like Henry, even if his voice was very deep and had an odd undertone to it. The harsh red glow of his eye was replaced with a soft green. His green. The rage was gone. He had a soft, patient, expression on his face. Even the long fangs that poked through his lips didn’t change the look she’d seen so often growing up. He knew just how to approach her when she was scared.

June crossed her arms around her midsection like she was trying to hold herself together. She swallowed passed the lump in her throat. “Henry? Is it r-really you?” She spoke so softly as though she were afraid it was all a trick and he would turn on her. He would never do something like that. He nodded. **“It’s me, Juney.”**

Bendy watched helplessly as June just stood there. He couldn’t tell if she was going to stay or run away. He really hoped she wouldn’t run. He knew his friend couldn’t take it if she abandoned him after all of this.

“I- this is t-too much!” She was shaking her head. Tears were running down her cheeks. “I don’t know what to do…” Her voice trailed off as she covered her mouth with her hand. She felt nauseous but fought to keep it down.

Henry wanted to reach out and comfort her so badly, but he had to let her come to him. She was so frightened and any sudden movements would spook her even more. He didn’t want to loose her, not before he could explain this to her. He sighed and lowered his hand. **“I know Juney.”** He winced at the sound of his own voice. He knew that wasn’t helping.

June was at a loss for what to do. She knew deep down that this is her brother, but he was so different now. What he did to that creature… she'd never seen Henry that angry or violent before. For just a moment, she thought she was looking at a complete stranger.

Now, she was looking up at the face of her brother. The same man that held her the night their father passed away. The same man that walked her down the isle in their father's place. The same man that cried on her shoulder when memories of the war got to be too much for him.

They were always there for one another growing up. She could see fear and the plea in his eye for her to understand. For her to give him a chance to explain. June closed her eyes and tried to get her shaking under control. He had always been there for her, she won’t turn her back on him now, even if she was scared and confused.

She walked up to him slowly. She could feel what little courage she had leave her the closer she got to him. She stood before him and he looked down at her with sadness in his eye. This must be very hard for him as well. June reached up with a shaky hand and placed it gently against his cheek.

Henry closed his eye and released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Even though he was like this, she didn’t run away. Even though this whole situation scared her to death, she was willing to stick by him. She wasn’t abandoning him. She may never know how happy that made him.

He leaned down until their foreheads touched. June sniffled and let a few more tears roll down her cheeks. It really was him! This was something they did when words of comfort just wasn’t enough.

Bendy was surprised. Henry did the same thing for him when he lost control or when he was overwhelmed. It must be a family thing. That thought made him happy. Henry considered him part of his family even back then. Relief flooded their bond just then. The fear Henry had been holding onto melted away. Bendy was happy for him.

June stepped back a little. He opened his eye and she gave him a warm smile. He returned the smile with one of his own. **“Thanks, June-Bug.”**

June turned towards Bendy. She waved and told him to come closer. The ink demon looked a little unsure, but he did as she asked. When he was close enough, she stood on the tips of her toes, and reached up to place her hands on either side of his face. He leaned over as she pulled his head down. Soon, she has her forehead pressed against his own. The poor toon whined and was moved to tears.

“Thank you Bendy, for saving my life.” June squeaked in surprise when the toon suddenly wrapped his thick arms around her and swept her up in a massive bear hug. After while June giggled and tried to return the hug. She couldn’t wrap her arms him but he didn’t mind.

Bendy and June turned at a splashing sound coming from Henry. The ink that incased his arms, legs, and chest was falling to the ground in huge chunks. Some of the ink seemed to get pulled back into his skin, especially where the pentagram was in his right hand. Soon she was able to see both of his eyes. The white parts were still black, but the green in his eyes glowed a little less.

June tapped Bendy’s shoulder and the toon put her down. She ran over and nearly tackled her brother. Henry sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her tightly as she sobbed into his chest. He was drained after everything that happened tonight but he knew they both needed this.

Bendy knew how tired he was and offered to carry his friend back home. Henry chuckled and told the toon he could walk home. “You should change back bud. It might be dark out, but we don’t wanna take any chances.”

The toon agreed and soon he was back to normal. June stood close to her brother’s side. His arm was across her shoulders and she and Bendy supported him as they slowly made their way out of the sewers. Thank goodness the streets were quiet and empty. They know they looked like a mess and they really didn’t want to explain what happened.

As they made their way home, Henry told his sister about the pentagram and what it does to him. She wouldn’t have believed him if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. June was worried about him and asked if there was anyway to get rid of it.

Henry had been asking himself that question ever since the brand showed up on his right hand that day. He just shook his head.

“I don't know Juney. I really don’t know…”

  
**-OoOoOoOoO-**

  
Within an hour, they had made it home. The siblings freshened up and had clean clothes on. They were sitting on the couch as they tried to wrap their minds around what happened this evening.

“Sammy’s alive. I don’t know how, but someone brought him back.” Henry ran his fingers through his hair. He really hoped he wouldn’t have to think of that hell hole of a studio again.

Bendy walked into the living room with an ice pack. He handed it to June and she placed it gingerly on the bump on the back of her head. She winced at the sharp pain.

Henry shook his head as anger flashed through him. “I’m sorry he hurt you, June-Bug.” She looked at him and grimaced.

“Umm, he didn’t.” Both Henry and Bendy looked at her in surprise.

Then Henry looked a little confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when he rose up right behind me, I got really scared. I tried to step back-“ a look of guilt crossed her face. “I slipped on the ink. I think I hit my head on the fridge. I don’t remember much after that…” June fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “When I came to, he was standing over me. He told me to stay quiet and then walked away. He didn’t come near me after that.”

Bendy and Henry just looked at each other. Then the toon’s face lit up and he snapped his fingers. “Come to think of it, the searchers were acting kinda strange too. They only attacked when I tried to take her out of the room.” Bendy looked a little confused. “They completely ignored her and went for me! Heck, June even grabbed a piece of wood and took some of them out!” He gave her a huge grin. “Good job by the way.”

June blushed at the little toon’s compliment. “I was only trying to help.” She looked over at Henry to find him lost in thought. She reached over and squeezed his hand. “Maybe they didn’t attack me because I wasn’t the target. I was just… the bait to get you both there. “ She sighed and shook her head. Henry reached over and gave her a one armed hug. Bendy hopped onto the couch next to her and hugged her as well. June couldn’t believe what a strange night they all had. She was happy that they were all safe, but something kept nagging at her.

“So, what happens now?” They all fell quiet. No one had an answer.

“I dunno. It seems like there is someone out to get us.” Henry thought the craziness was over when they escaped the studio. Looks like he was wrong. That evil followed him home and his sister almost got killed. Maybe he was putting her in more danger right now! It might be time for him to take Bendy and disappe-

“Hey Henry?” her voice derailed his train of thought. “Maybe-“ she looked down at the toon and patted him on the head. She sighed and looked up at her brother. “maybe you and Bendy should stay at my place for a little while…”

Henry shook his head. He won’t put her or her family in anymore danger. June knew what he was thinking and held up her hand to stop him.

“Now, listen to me! Whoever did this knows where you live. They don’t know about me.” She had a look of determination on her face. Henry knew he wasn’t going to win this argument. “You can stay with me for awhile until you can figure out what your next step is.”

She reached up and ruffled his white patch of hair. She gave him a playful smile. “The girls would love to meet Bendy and Jason would be glad to have you there. Besides, I know you. You'll try to disappear and figure this stuff out on your own.” Well, she had him there. She frowned and shook her head. “I don’t want something to happen and I’d never see you again!”

Henry knew she had a point. He needed time to think without looking over his shoulder all the time. If he and Bendy were the real targets, he could always take the toon and run. He sighed and looked over at the little toon. He could tell Bendy agreed with June and he sent a wave of reassurance through their bond.

“Alright June. Looks like we'll be staying with you for a little while.” Bendy cheered and threw himself at Henry. June laughed as the little toon babbled on about meeting his nieces and maybe teaching them how to dance and other things. In the end, they will figure things out and everything will be fine.

Henry didn’t think things were this black and white (no pun intended) but it was a start. He just hope he didn’t live to regret this.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the end. I hope I was able to pull some of the action stuff off. I'm still practicing that. If some parts get a little confusing, please let me know. I'll try to fix it. I kinda left the end open so I can add more to it if I get that itch again.


End file.
